Blog

5 Dynamic Workouts for Summer Legs

Single-leg Balance to Lunge to Standing Splits

Standing with your legs together, begin to shift your weight onto your left leg. Raise your right leg, bringing your bent knee to hip height. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly bend the left leg and lightly place your right foot back behind you into a lunge position. Push through your heel to help extend the right leg from the hip. Keep the left shin perpendicular to the floor and your knee bent at 90 degrees. Your left thigh should be parallel to the floor. Keep your core engaged—the ribs will often try to flare in this position. Hold for 15 seconds. Begin to bear more weight into left leg and slowly hinge at your hips, lifting the right leg toward the sky as your head lowers toward your left shin. Keep your right leg strong as it is extended. Hold for 15 seconds. Keep the right leg lifted and move back to the single-leg balance position from the beginning. Hold for 20 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Lateral Step-ups to Crossing Lunge

Use a 12- to 18-inch bench. Stand with your right side next to the bench. Step up on the bench with your right foot, keeping the feet parallel (don’t let your feet turn in toward the bench). The goal is to stay working in the frontal plane. Lift the left leg. Hold for a beat. Slowly lower toward the floor and begin to step your right foot behind your left. Your lift hip will load laterally. Repeat.

Standing Broad Jump

Stand in an athletic stance. Start to hinge at the hips and jump out as far as you can.

Land softly to load the hips and repeat. Continue until fatigue.

Traveling Skaters

Measure out 50 yards. From the starting line, load your left hip and jump forward and to the right, landing so your hips take the load. Continue back and forth to the 50-yard mark. The focus here should be on the landing stance, not on how fast you can complete the 50 yards. Repeat eight to 10 times.

TRX Hamstring Curls to Abducted Legs

Adjust a TRX Suspension Trainer to mid-calf. Lie on the floor, facing the anchor, and place your heels in the foot cradle. Flex your feet and drive your heels into the straps. Engage into a full body plank and lift. Keeping your hips stable, pull your heels in toward your glutes and extend back to your supine plank. Widen your legs into a straddle position, keeping your toes facing the ceiling and your hips stable. Return to the supine plank position and repeat.